Doors that rise instead of swinging outward have long been a showpiece of car design. This gallery follows production models from the 300 SL through scissor, butterfly and swan variants to the SLS AMG. Each of the twelve entries pairs a model with the door style that its source assigns to it.
1. Mercedes-Benz 300 SL: The Original Gullwing
The 300 SL ran first as a 1952 race car, the W194, and then as a production sports car from 1954, with the Gullwing road cars discontinued in 1957. That timeline appears in the gull-wing door overview, which places the model at the start of the road-going story.
The short production run explains why the car is now mostly met as a preserved classic. Its roof-hinged doors remain the feature most associated with the name, and the later cars on this list borrow from that tradition.
2. DMC DeLorean: The Stainless Steel Icon
The DMC DeLorean of the 1980s is named as one of the two best-known road cars with gull-wing doors. The same gull-wing door article gives it that billing alongside the Mercedes that opened the list.
Its fame in popular culture is a separate matter from the door design itself. Readers should treat the entry as a statement about doors, not about sales or driving. A single clear claim keeps it accurate.
3. Tesla Model X: The Double-Hinged Family Hauler
The Model X, introduced in 2015 and discontinued in 2026, has double-hinged gull-wing doors. The gull-wing door entry covers the design.
A second hinge lets the panel fold as it rises, so a tall door can open in a tight space. Sharing a label with a 1950s sports car shows how far the idea has travelled. A second hinge lets the panel fold as it rises, so a tall door can open in a tight space. Sharing a label with a 1950s sports car shows how far the idea has travelled, and the end of production leaves the design fixed in the record.
4. Lamborghini Countach: The Scissor Door Pioneer
The first production car to feature scissor doors was the Gandini-designed Lamborghini Countach. That distinction is recorded in the scissor doors article, which treats the car as the starting point for the style.
Scissor doors pivot at the front edge and swing up, a layout that suits a wide, low body. Because the claim is about being first, it carries more weight than a simple mention in a list. The source ties the style to a named designer, giving the entry a clear point of origin.
5. Lamborghini Diablo: The Countach Successor
The scissor doors carried over to the Countach’s successor, the Diablo. The scissor doors history traces this continuity from one flagship to the next.
Keeping the doors across generations turned a one-off feature into a brand signature. The source describes the carry-over only, so nothing further is claimed here about the car’s design or performance. The pattern is simple but useful, since each later entry in this run depends on the one before it. Readers can follow the doors from one model to the next without needing any extra detail about engines or styling.
6. Lamborghini Murcielago: The Diablo’s Replacement
The Diablo’s replacement, the Murcielago, kept the scissor doors. The same scissor doors article lists it as the next step in the line.
That makes a third consecutive model with the arrangement. For owners and onlookers alike, the upward swing became an expected part of the car’s arrival and departure, rather than an occasional novelty. Three models in a row is enough to show a deliberate approach rather than a coincidence. The source gives the sequence in order, so the entry sits naturally between its predecessor and the model that follows it.
7. Lamborghini Revuelto: The Latest in the Line
The Revuelto is the latest Lamborghini to carry scissor doors. The scissor doors overview brings the story up to the present model.
It extends a tradition that began with the Countach and has now run through four named models on this list. The word latest is time-sensitive, so the claim reflects the source as published. Placing it last in the scissor run gives the sequence a clear end point, at least for now. Future models could change that, which is why the entry is worded around what the source says today.
8. McLaren F1: The Butterfly Benchmark
The McLaren F1, released in 1992, is named among the series-produced cars built with butterfly doors. A consumer spotter’s guide includes it in that short group.
Butterfly doors hinge at the front pillar and swing outward and up, a different motion from the straight scissor lift. The guide treats the F1 as a production example, not a concept or a one-off. Being named in a general-interest guide also shows how widely the car is recognized beyond enthusiast circles. The entry leans on that listing alone and does not add figures that the source does not state.
9. Ferrari Enzo: The Prancing Horse Goes Up
The 2002 Ferrari Enzo is listed among the production cars with butterfly doors. The same spotter’s guide places it alongside the McLaren above.
Two rival supercar makers sharing the style shows how the idea spread. The brevity of the entry reflects the brevity of the source, which names the model and its year without extra detail. Including it shows that upward-opening doors were not limited to one maker, and that the idea spread among rival supercar builders. The entry stays within what the source states and adds no claims about hinge geometry.
10. Maserati MC20: The Modern Butterfly
The Maserati MC20, unveiled in 2020, is named among the butterfly-door production cars. The unconventional doors guide counts it as a current-era example of the style.
That brings the butterfly idea into the 2020s from a 1990s starting point. The source calls it a production car, which separates it from show-stand prototypes that never reached customers. A newer name in the group also helps the gallery avoid being only about decades past. Readers get a sense that the idea is still being used when a manufacturer wants a dramatic entrance.
11. Aston Martin DB9: The Swan Door Variant
Aston Martin fitted swan doors, hinged to swing slightly upward as they open, to the DB9 coupe released for 2004. The same spotter’s guide describes the arrangement in those terms.
The upward motion is gentler than a full scissor or butterfly lift, which is why this entry sits at the milder end of the list. It still qualifies because the doors rise as they swing out. Including it reminds readers that upward-opening doors come in degrees, and that one maker used a restrained version on a coupe. The source supplies the model year and the hinge description, and the entry stays within both.
12. Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG: The Modern Gullwing
The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, built from 2010 to 2015, continued the gull-wing door tradition. The eBay Motors door-style blog places it as a modern heir to the 300 SL.
The five-year build span makes it a brief but memorable chapter. Its role here is to close the list on the same door style that opened it, linking the first entry to the last. Mentioning the earlier car also shows that the idea was revived on purpose, not by accident. The source gives the dates and the tradition, and the entry avoids adding performance or price claims that it does not cover.
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